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Kelly's Casino
On the far outskirts of what could conceivably be considered the Bay Area, Antioch is a bedroom community mainly populated by workers who commute into the major cities of Oakland and San Francisco. Situated on the Sacramento River Delta, Antioch also has a number of boating piers. Kelly's Casino is located right next to the water, but isn't in a beautiful part of town so much as an industrial part. Games Limit hold 'em: 2/4 and 3/6 and 4/8, though some regulars told me there hasn't been much demand for 2/4 lately so it is rarely played. 4/8 is only played on busier evenings. No-limit hold 'em: $100 buyin, 1/2/2 blinds, $5 to go. NLHE doesn't get started until around 7 or 8pm each night. Rake is $4 for games with 6 or more players, $3 for 5 or fewer. This includes a jackpot rake of $1. Game Character: A little wilder than most typical smalltown card rooms, but still populated with an assortment of characters, ranging from rocks to maniacs. Posting: New players need not post. Shuffling: All tables are hand-shuffled. Wait Time: Varies depending on time of day. Tournaments * Mon-Fri 6pm: NLHE $20+$2. * Every other Sunday: 3:30pm NLHE $100+$10. On the weekend before one of these, they hold regular satellites with $15 buyins, first place gets an entry into the big Sunday tourney. Jackpots and Promotions * Bad Beat Jackpot: Quads 8's beaten = $5000. * Royal Flush bonus: any suit, any number of hole cards play = $50. * Bonus Buyin: between 10am-11am, buy $50 of chips for $25. * Bonus NLHE Buyin: between 1pm-2pm, buy $120 of chips for $100, but only if you're playing NLHE. Atmosphere A large spacious room characterizes Kelly's Casino, which is connected to Kelly's Bar, which leads into Kelly's Restaurant. The businesses are sort of run separately, but are clearly connected. Still, on July 4th the casino was open while the restaurant had a sign that said "Restaurant is on vacation, July 1-15". Kelly's is a very friendly casino, where the staff will sit and fill in a game if need be, and the regulars are generally polite and friendly. The poker side of the large and rather sumptiously-decorated gambling hall has two big plasma televisions mounted on the wall. The other side features 21st Century Blackjack, Pan, and Pai Gow Poker tables, though they are only used during the busiest times of day (hold 'em is much more popular here). Signs posted around the room are quite clear about both promotions and rules of the casino, including two unusual ones: * "No Tank Tops" * "No Cell Phones" I saw a number of people violating that second one, even taking calls at the table. I didn't see anyone in tank tops, though, even though it was a hot July day. So at least some of their rules appear to be enforced. Neighborhood: A semi-industrial area on the far north end of town, right next to the edge of the Sacramento River. No view of the river, though - you can't see much of anything from the casino except a factory across the street. Parking: No visible parking except that on the street. There does seem to be a lot of that, though. Tables and Chairs: Decent 9-player tables with worn but very soft felt and wide staging area. The chairs are a motley collection ranging from fixed-leg wobbly semi-padded monsters to comfy wheeled adjustable office chairs. No rhyme or reason was apparent to their placement. Service and Comps Since it's connected to both a bar and restaurant, you can order food and drink and have it served at the table. Assuming, of course, that the restaurant isn't on a two-week vacation. Links and Notes * Closest competitor is the 19th Hole a few miles away. * Visited by Mark T in Jul 2006.